Back to Brothers
by dimpleforyourthoughts
Summary: The Winchesters getting back into the swing of things, post 8x10. Back to road pranks and shenanigans and little things they didn't know they missed until they were gone. "It starts with Dean stealing Sam's hairbrush." (spoilers for all of season 8 thus far)


**Author's Note: the prompt was post 8x10, the Winchesters being brothers again. So I took it and ran with it. :) Spoilers for all episodes. **

* * *

It starts with Dean stealing Sam's hairbrush.

Sam doesn't notice at first, merely assuming he left it at the last hotel, and he simply mutters in irritation and buys another at the next gas station stop. He chalks it up to being back with Dean and being thrown off by their new—slightly awkward, slightly pained—dynamic. They smile and they make awkward jokes, Sam gets the paper and Dean gets coffee, Sam pays for the motel room and Dean packs up their stuff in the morning, they don't mention Benny or Amelia. It's working for them. Maybe not in a good wholesome way, but it's working just the same. And Sam is not about to accuse his brother of stealing his hairbrush, because he's a grown up and Dean's not that much of an idiot as he used to be.

But then Dean steals Sam's second hairbrush. And his third. And his fourth and fifth are gone within another two days.

And then it's war.

It starts with Dean stealing Sam's hairbrush and it ends with Sam pouring salt in Dean's coke while he's flirting with the waitress and Dean blasting Metallica far too loud and Sam singing in the shower at 5 am and Dean shoving snow down the back of Sam's jacket and Sam tackling his brother into the snow and slush and them punching and pinning each other like they're kids being stupid and trying to prove who's the fiercest fighter. It ends with Dean cracking up at Sam's orange tinged skin from the tanning lotion Dean told Sam was calamine. It ends with Sam stealing food from Dean's plate and Dean chucking French fries in retaliation and both of them getting kicked out of the Diner for 'obnoxious child like behavior'. It ends with Sam stealing the keys and saying "My turn" and Dean surprisingly calling 'shot gun!' and grinning wickedly. The moment is stupid, ridiculous, but they're laughing and sprinting to their car and Sam grins even wider as Dean reaches for the radio dial because "Uh-uh, Dean. Driver picks the music. Shotgun shuts his cake hole."

And then Dean retaliates, natural as breathing, faster than lightning, "Bitch."

Sam's hands stutter on the steering wheel, and they both blink because _jesus. _When was the last time they'd been _here_? When was the last time they'd sat in this car and it hadn't felt like a prison? When was the last time there had been sun on their backs and greasy diner food in their stomachs and shit eating grins on both their faces? When was the last time that the road stood before them not like a burden or a punishment, but like an old friend that they were eager to get back to? When was the last time that this felt so fresh? Like a new chapter instead of a dog eared page?

Sam figures it doesn't matter. Because maybe things have changed. Maybe things are too damaged and they can't go back so it doesn't matter when the last time was that they just sat here and existed in this front seat. They can't go back.

"Jerk." He mutters the insult softly, cuts his eyes away from his older brother, who's sitting in shotgun and not looking the least bit uncomfortable, cuts his eyes away because Dean has this funny look on his face and he's suddenly blinking rapidly and clearing his throat.

Maybe things have changed.

And maybe things are exactly as they always were.

It ends with Dean stealing Sam's hairbrush.

And it begins with two brothers taking off in a car, rocketing and speeding and whooping and hollering insults at one another over the blaring Johnny Cash that Sam insists on.

It begins with two brothers and a car, and the whole world at the end of that one winding road.

Dean gives back all of Sam's hairbrushes that night. Sam chucks every single one of them straight at Dean's head.

* * *

**A/N: Again, please read and review!**


End file.
